One Dead, One Injured in Bartow Shooting

Saturday

Apr 6, 2013 at 8:03 AMApr 6, 2013 at 8:55 AM

An early morning encounter in an area known as a neighborhood hangout turned deadly Saturday for Tommie Devon Johnson, also known as TJ. Johnson, 27, and Kenneth Thornton, 34, were on Britts Lane when shots were fired.

By ROBIN WILLIAMS ADAMSTHE LEDGER

BARTOW | An early morning encounter in an area known as a neighborhood hangout turned deadly Saturday for Tommie Devon Johnson, also known as TJ.Johnson, 27, and Kenneth Thornton, 34, were on Britts Lane when shots were fired.Bartow Police Department officers, responding to a report of a shooting, arrived a short time before 4 a.m.Both Bartow residents had been shot, reportedly by two people in masks..Johnson was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where he died, police said.Thornton was taken to Bartow Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The hospital said he wasn't a patient there by Saturday evening.Johnson lived at 1090 W. Forrest Drive in Bartow, according to Sgt. David Wyant,People answering the phone at the address listed for Johnson declined to talk.In response to an early Ledger report, however, someone posting as Latoya Andlady Crawford said "I cnt believe it just cnt make sense of my lil cuz is gone! It's a shame there no regard for human life. Whatever the situation was at the end of the day it wasn't worth taking a life that wasn't yours to take!"Investigators said they believe there are two suspects, both of whom were wearing masks, Bay News 9 reported Saturday morning.They hadn't established a motive or identified any suspects at that time. Wyant said later Saturday there wasn't any further information to release on the suspects.Johnson had several previous run-ins with the Bartow Police Department, primarily for resisting an officer. Thornton has been arrested on charges of selling and possessing marijuana, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office website.People with information about the crime can contact detectives at the Bartow Police Department, 863-534-5034. People who want to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477.

[ Robin Williams Adams can be reached at robin.adams@theledger.com or 863-802-7558. Read her blog at robinsrx.blogs.theledger.com. Follow on Twitter @ledgerROBIN. ]